


Growth

by To-Antigone (SnowedIn14)



Series: Gaining [2]
Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: F/M, Gen, I'm updating this after a year, i should be asleep right now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-15 01:55:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10548082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowedIn14/pseuds/To-Antigone
Summary: Part two of my one-sentence stories. Canon, more or less.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So I was struck by motivation(!) and decided to finish the addition I'd started like, a year ago. Enjoy!

Nyanko-sensei:

Touko was neither jealous nor competitive by nature, but hearing Takashi-kun talk so easily to his (ugly) cat set off a very determined feeling within herself not to lose to the pet.

It was strange how easily The Cat settled into their house with them, but Shigeru had always wanted a pet- now the real problem was keeping Touko from worrying Takashi with her little competition.

Perhaps he was reading too much into it, but Takashi swore there was some extra...tension between Nyanko-sensei and Touko-san, although neither outwardly acknowledged it.

Madara was not weak enough to get truly attached to a mere slip of a human- but he wasn't about to lose to one either, significant though her fighting will was.

~*~*~

Touko:

Even at a young age, Touko had always been one to care for others- Takashi-kun, though, was proving quite the challenge to care for properly, but just give her time.

Watching his wife, Shigeru felt as though Takashi-kun had shaken a full decade of aging from her.

Takashi was caught between embarrassment and awe when Touko-san full-out lectured the Principal for blaming a series of recent thefts on his newest (strangest) student without evidence, leading to an apology on the Principals part both before and after Takashi's eventual vindication.

Madara decided that despite the distance of relation between the two, both Natsume and Touko-san were rather frightening in their determination to protect.

~*~*~

Shigeru:

When she first met Shigeru, something fell into place and Touko knew he was hers for the keeping.

Marrying Touko had been the most satisfying decision in his life, and Shigeru thought quite happily that this was as good as it got- and then came Takashi.

Takashi admired Shigeru-san greatly for what he did (and didn't do) every day; the realization that no matter how tired, Shigeru-san always took at least a few moments for him, Takashi, made him the kind of giddy/weepy that forced Nyanko-sensei to drink.

Humans were emotional in ways that ayakashi found perplexing- but Madara could admit there was something very filling about the emotions here, in this house.

~*~*~

Natsume:

Touko had never been one to play invalid, but if it eased Takashi-kun's mind even the slightest to help care for her, she would tolerate being a bit coddled over a mere sniffle.

Watching Takashi-kun care for Touko was enlightening: on one hand experienced, on the other dreadfully uncertain and overly cautious, so it was likely a good thing that his Touko didn't need quite the level of care Takashi-kun was attempting to exert.

He knew the Fujiwaras were mostly humoring him, but fuzzy memories of an illness that simply took made him anxious- so mere common cold or no, Takashi stayed often with Touko-san until she fully recovered.

Madara knew more of the bean-sprout's fears than he cared to admit, and therefore didn't fuss (much) when Natsume mostly ignored him until Touko recovered.

~*~*~

Recovery:

Victory was sweet, and Touko had certainly won this round over the Ugly Cat Dumpling.

Shigeru knew his Touko was returned to health when he caught her lording her victory over the cat- even as she fed it snacks.

Despite how troublesome his life had become, Takashi felt how much easier it was, living with people who cared for him.

Reluctantly, Madara knew he'd been beaten this time, but it wasn't over yet!

~*~*~

Caution:

Her young man had such strong barriers to protect himself, and yet- oh, look at all his friendships.

Shigeru had never considered himself very paranoid, but with the amount the Cat ate, he had learned to guard his food well.

As seasons turned, Touko-san would always stuff gloves in his coat pockets then tuck his scarf in, and Shigeru-san would gently remind him of the impending poor weather.

Natsume, Madara knew, had everyone fooled with his little sweet, nice guy act- nice guys don't threaten to pour your sake down the drain just for enjoying yourself a little too loudly.

~*~*~

Belonging:

Hearing Takashi-kun speak of 'home' so casually-

Small, strong, his, even the really Fat Cat.

Takashi stayed long enough to find the best shortcuts, and not just the best hiding spots.

"Stop giving away names, that's mine you-" honestly, how many times did he have to yowl?

~*~*~

Watching:

It was such a silly thing, but Touko liked to watch clothes fly in the wind, as though something was playing to make shapes from them.

Takashi-kun still kept an eye on them, but it seemed different from the distrust and desperation it had been at first, and so Shigeru made a point to always speak care and affection with his actions.

Quite honestly, the latest television and pop idols were really, really low on Takashi's priority list, but this series seemed really important to Nishimura, so watch it he would.

All the extra eyes watching Natsume made Madara nervous- the brat really needed to be more careful around ayakashi and exorcists, alike.

~*~*~

Determination:

From the moment she found him under a street light, she knew this boy was hers to protect, even if it took a while to teach this to Takashi-kun.

Unfortunately, no one in the house was well-verse in technology, so getting Takashi-kun's phone to work properly was something of an adventure.

Shigeru-san had helped him study for his test, there was no way he was going to miss it just because some idiot ayakashi liked eating his pencils.

Natsume Takashi decided he had no self-preservation at the most inconvenient times, but at least it wasn't boring, so of course Madara would stay, the brat still had the Book.

**Author's Note:**

> This mostly takes place after the first in the series, Efforts. Mostly. Hey, it's Natsume Yuujinchou, what more do you expect? Please forgive any errors on my part, I've been up almost 24 hours now and I'm dead.


End file.
